Do you have to use capping?

[Dave_]

I have more experience in the industrial/ commercial field but will soon be more of a domestic spark...

In a domestic situation:

chasing the existing plaster and rewiring with twin and earth, clipping as you go. (obviously within safe zones etc.) do you have to cap the wiring?

I know its got something to do with a plasterers trowel, but it can a right royal pain to clip (uneven brickwork, thats as hard as concrete etc.)

Is there a specific regulation that enforces this??

 

[Rockingit]

I've never seen a 'reg' as such that says you have to use capping. You have to mechanically protect a cable as necessary.

It's standard practice to use capping to protect the cable from getting nicked by the plasterers trowel, as you said, and is also fairly helpful in keeping the cable touching the wall to comply with method 'C'. If you're using capping then normally there's no point at all in clipping - in fact it can get in the way.

 

[malcolmsanford]

There are loads of reg concerning cable installation and the main one for cable in plaster would be section 522.5 concerning corrosive or polluting substances........................which is now irrelevant with modern plaster, so cable can be run without additional protection such as capping

As for the use of a trowel and damaging the cable, again you could refer to section 522.8 and other mechanical damage and 522.8.1 in particular, but again mention of capping sheathed cable in a wall is not mentioned, so again it really is your call if you think you want to cap it.

Personally I like to use oval tube to cover the cables, no more reason other, that was the way I was taught to do it, which is not a reg but a personal preference

 

[Dave_]

yeah sorry im being dumb, ive always clipped or capped

but with a plasterers trowel, if the chase is like the one in the thread 'has my electrician done a dangerous job' (or something along those lines) then from a plastering point of view surely it wouldnt need capping, you could easily fill it?

 

[trev]

A good quick way to cap a chase is to drill either side of the capping, plugs in the holes the knock clout nails in. It also keeps the nails well away from your cables.

 

[Darkwood]

as emphasized by other posts, capping only provides mechanical protection from the razor sharp edge of a plasterers trowel, so if wall to be fully plastered then capping yes, if you have created a chase in existing plaster then not required really.... but on an extra note, it can sometimes be beneficial to cap even with dot and dab boarding on top to give a proffesional first fix appearence for little extra cost or effort so that the white collars visiting sites get a positive impression to the quality and ability of the electrical contractor, cables roughly clipped in place look tacky even though they will be boarded over.

 

[Dave_]

A good quick way to cap a chase is to drill either side of the capping, plugs in the holes the knock clout nails in. It also keeps the nails well away from your cables.

Yeah i often do a similar thing - a screw, plug and penny washer. Capping can be a such a pain, with such a little flat edge to get a nail through, and silly little nails too that are so short that they are recessed behind the plaster! You often nail one in and two fall out!! I find capping generally drama free when the brickwork is flat and the brick/mortar likes my nails! and the plastic stuff often just splits vertically!!

Can you tell i'm not a fan of capping!!

Anyone ever tried capping uneven stone brickwork??? oh my god.... i remember drilling it and it shattered just like flint!! in the end we had to make some builders slop to fit all the back boxes in!!

 

[Dave_]

razor sharp edge of a plasterers trowel

really??? do they sharpen them at tea time??

if wall to be fully plastered then capping yes, if you have created a chase in existing plaster then not required really

that totally clarifies my question... thankyou!!

it can sometimes be beneficial to cap even with dot and dab boarding on top to give a proffesional first fix appearence for little extra cost or effort so that the white collars visiting sites get a positive impression to the quality and ability of the electrical contractor, cables roughly clipped in place look tacky even though they will be boarded over.

I never considered that! very true. It does look neat. But like i mentioned, if it nice and flat its not a pain!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Sometimes its better to just "cap" than try and convince someone its not needed ....... (like builders)

 

[Amp David]

Capping also provide protection to the cable from day to day damage from every other trade passing through.

Sometime between your first fix and the walls getting boarded or plaster can be weeks. In that time, there's usually plenty of numptys slinging stuff about that can easily damage a cable or 2

 

[Guest123]

Capping on a bare wall, oval conduit in a chase. Easier to fix the oval e.g, using a 16mm T&E clip.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Capping also provide protection to the cable from day to day damage from every other trade passing through.

Sometime between your first fix and the walls getting boarded or plaster can be weeks. In that time, ther's usually plenty of numptys slinging stuff about that can easily damage a cable or 2

I tell you what I never thought of that.

 

[telectrix]

my vote goes to the oval tube. if some numpty drills or nails through a cable, it's usually a simple job to pull a new drop in without chiselling out any of the wall.

 

[sparky198]

I'm with telectrix. If you ever need to replace a cable for whatever reason or add things which has happened to me if there's capping or conduit in place makes life so much easier.
I've been to a jobs where a customer has decorated a bedroom then decided they want a light in a wardrobe and asked to have it controlled from the main switch or an outside light off the hallway switch. As there was no conduit/capping, me having to break the news that their fresh paint was going to get damaged didn't go down well!

 

[ezzzekiel]

depends on time factor also, usually chase needs to be that much deeper

 

[Guest112]

i bought some capping nails theyre not bad rather use clout nails

 

[mackers]

Yeah i often do a similar thing - a screw, plug and penny washer. Capping can be a such a pain, with such a little flat edge to get a nail through, and silly little nails too that are so short that they are recessed behind the plaster! You often nail one in and two fall out!! I find capping generally drama free when the brickwork is flat and the brick/mortar likes my nails! and the plastic stuff often just splits vertically!!

Can you tell i'm not a fan of capping!!

Anyone ever tried capping uneven stone brickwork??? oh my god.... i remember drilling it and it shattered just like flint!! in the end we had to make some builders slop to fit all the back boxes in!!

best thing for stone walls is cut short bits of t&e 3"ish then use 2 clout heads one either side then fix like a strap saddle. if seams are old lime drill and plug for the nails best way ive found.

 

[Rockingit]

If I've got a really rough chase (like stone or hollow block) then sometimes I use a big penny washer and CAREFULLY bang the nail in between two cables, so that the washer grips both of them either side - two cables with one nail.

 

[1Justin]

What about trying to hold the cables flat and parallel while fixing capping? Fettling around behind the capping to fix crossing or turned-sideways cables while trying to get it fixed nice and flat seems a time consuming way to mess about.

I have tried taping the cable bundle together in a flat band with masking tape, but they still don't stay put very well.
Clipping would hold them, but add thickness and width to the bunch of cables.

Any tips on that one?

 

[Mark Pound]

i use capping in new builds even behind dot and bab only because the builders expect it and doubt your capabilities if bare cables are left on walls